Machine for operating upon hides, skins, and leather



March 3, 1936.

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES,

G. SCH ETTLER 2,032,379

SKINS, AND LEATHER Filed Sept. 5, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 3, 1936. G A, S HETT ER 2,032,379

AND LEATHER SKINS,

Filed Sept. 5, 1934 MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES,

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March i936. G. A. SCHETTLER 2,032,379

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER Filed Sept. 5, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 7 km Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HI'DES, SKINS, AND LEATHER Gustav Adolf Schettler, Leeds, England, assignor to The Turner Tanning Machinery Company, Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine- Application September 5, 1934, Serial No, 742,769 In Great Britain October 14, 1933 22 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for operating upon hides, skins, and leather. While the invention is illustrated as embodied in a machine for performing shaving operations upon tanned skins and kips it will be understood that the inrelations with respect to the tool.

vention and various important features thereof may have other applications and uses.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved means by which certain operations upon hides, skins, and leather may be performed more expeditiously, efficiently, and satisfactorily than heretofore while at the same time requiring the exercise of less skill and attention on the part of the operator.

Commonly, in shaving operations upon pieces of work of uneven thickness. such as a skin having flange and belly portions which are normally thinner than the back, butt, and neck portions thereof, it is desirable to reduce such heavier back, butt, and neck portions to a predetermined thickness and to clean the flesh surfaces of the normally thinner portions without substantially reducing the thickness thereof.

To these ends and in accordance with an important feature of the invention, means is provided, in connection with a work support and a tool for operating on a piece of work, for establishing a normal maximum spacing of the work support and tool with respect to each other to secure reduction in the thickness dimensions of certain portions of the work to a predetermined substantially uniform thickness, while other thinner portions of the same piece of work may be given only a cleaning treatment due to the provision of means for establishing also a normal minimum spacing of the work support and tool corresponding closely to the thickness dimensions of said thinner portions of said piece of work. Conveniently, a bed roll is provided for presenting a piece of work, such as a skin, to a rotary cutter, said bed roll being mounted for rotation upon a pair of swing arms at the upper end of a carrier which is movable to position the bed roll alternately in work receiving and in work presenting As shown, stops are provided on the carrier for engagement with the swing arms to predetermine a normal maximum spacing and also a normal minimum spacing of the bed roll with respect to the cutter. When a piece of work is presented by the bed roll to the cutter with the thicker portions of the work in place to be operated upon, the bed roll may move away from the cutter to the full extent of said normal maximum spacing against the pressure of spring means acting upon said swing arms. In this arrangement of the parts of the machine, the thicker portions of the work are shaved to a predetermined substantially uniform thickness. Upon shifting the work to operate upon the thinner portions thereof, the spring means presses the bed roll toward the tool so that cleaning or light shaving operations upon the thinner portions are carried out under this yielding pressure. Since the proper stops may be so set as to provide a normal minimum spacing of the bed roll with respect to the tool, corresponding closely to the thickness of the said thinner portions of the work, the latter will be very lightly treated by the rotarycutter so that there results a cleaning effect upon the flesh surfaces of the thinner portion of the Skill without any substantial reduction in thickness. It will be understood that the stops for securing the normal maximum spacing of the tool and work support and for securing the normal minimum spacing of the same parts are adjusted to suit the results it is desired to obtain upon a given batch of skins. Once the stops have been adjusted, the operator may introduce each skin and have it reduced in thickness throughout the greater portion thereof to a predetermined extent, the machine operating automatically, without further attention on the part of the operator, to clean or lightly shave the thinner parts of the same skin, since the spring means which back the swing arms will constantly urge the bed roll toward the rotary cutter but not beyond the established normal minimum spacing fixed by the adjustment of the stops provided for that purpose. For a batch of work differing substantially in thickness and in other characteristics from that just operated upon, the operator may make adjustments of the stops by means readily accessible to the operator at the front of the machine.

It is a further important feature of the invention that the novel means described in the foregoing paragraph is embodied in a machine wherein the carrier for the bed roll is yieldingly maintained against stops on the machine frame while the bedroll is located in work presenting position with respect to the tool. Preferably, adjustable means is provided on the carrier for co-operation with said stops to vary initially the work presenting position of the carrier and its bed roll with respect to the tool. Following such adjustment of the carrier, adjustment will ordinarily be made also of the stops on the carrier which determine the normal maximum and minimum spacings of the bed roll With respect to the tool. In this way the machine may be readily adjusted to a wide range of thicknesses inthe' pieces of work submitted for treatment by the machine.

These and other important features of the invention'and novel combinations of parts will now be described inthe specification and then pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings, I

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a leather shaving machine illustrating one embodiment of the intion the bed roll.

vention; certain parts being removed and others sectioned to show the construction more clearly; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the machine taken on line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line III-III of Fig. 1 of the bed roll and its supporting means in a locked position;

'Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the.

bed roll set so as to be capable of yielding;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing the relative positions of the bed roll and the tool when the heavier portion of a piece of leather of uneven thickness passes therebetween;

' Fig, 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the relative positions of the bed roll and the tool when a thinner portion or flank passes therebetween;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of part of a modification'hereinafter described;

'Fig. 8 is a vertical section of such modification taken on line VIII-VIII of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section of another modification;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section of a further modification; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary front view elevation showing a modification of the stops used to posi- Figures 3, 4, '7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2, and to a smaller scale than Figures 5 and 6.

In the illustrated constructions, designed specially to perform shaving operations upon hides and skins, the main frame consists of spaced side members I connected by a rigid round bar or shaft 2 on which is pivotally mounted a forked or substantially V-shaped frame or lever 3 constituting a rocking carrier for a work supporting member in the form of a bed roll 4, the latter being mounted on a spindle 4a journaled for rotation in the upper end of the carrier lever 3.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the forked or V-shaped carrier 3 has in each of its arms 3a., above the pivot 2, an adjustable screw, one of which is shown at 5, passing through a worm wheel 6 housed on the aforesaid arm in mesh with a worm I on the adjacent end of a spindle 8 rotatably mounted in bearings 9 on the arms 3a of the carrier so as to extend between the arms parallel to the rigid bar or shaft 2.

It will be understood that both screws aresimilarly mounted and operated. Hence it is nec- 'essary to show and describe the mounting and operating means for one screw only. The screws 5 are arranged at right angles to the worm spindie 8 so as toproject towards the spaced side members I in the direction of a tool I0 which is of the usual spirally bladed type. The side members I of the machine frame are formed with corresponding abutments in the form of a boss II at the top or" each side member. The Worm spindle 8 is provided at one end with a handwheel l2 (Fig. 1) for rotating it and at the other end with a locking hand wheel or look nut I3. The arrangement is, of course, such that by turning the hand wheel I2 after slackeningthe locking hand wheel or look nut I3, the screws 5 can be moved backwards or forwards in the arms 3a in order to determine the limit of movement of the rocking carrier 3 towards the tool In by which a piece of work is to be reduced, the operator by means of the hand wheel I2 can set the machine so as to achieve the desired result. A suitable scale or equivalent means (not shown) may be provided in association with the operating hand wheel I2 for facilitating the adjustment of the stopping arrangement to different positions corresponding to different thickness reductions according to requirements.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, for moving the rocking carrier 3 up to the stops II there is provided a spring controlled toggle arrangement I4 (see Fi 2) anda treadle I5 arranged so that upon depression of the treadle the toggle is straightened (see Fig. 2) and a spring I6 exerts pressure through the toggle arrangement to hold the carrier 3 up to the bosses or stops I I. To this end, a link I! of the toggle is pivotally connected with the rocking carrier 3 at the lower end of the latter by means of a pin I 8 and an adjusting screw I9 carried by the saidrocking carrier. Another link 20 of the toggle is pivotally connected at 2| to a link 22 pivoted at 23 on a fixed bracket 24. A rod 25 slidable through a fixed guide 26 is surrounded by the compression spring IS, the latter being interposed between the said guide 26 and a collar 21 on the said rod. The toggle links I! and 20 are pivotally joined by a pin 28. The treadle I5 is a lever having an arm 29 and a second arm 39 which extends under the toggle link I1 and is fitted with a roller 3I for contact with an inclined surface 32 on the link II adjacent to the joint 28 of the toggle links H and 20. Normally the toggle is bent. Hence when the treadle I5 is depressed the arm 30 carryingthe roller 3! is raised, thereby straightening the toggle, the roller 3| running on the incline 32 as the toggle is straightened and bent. Means are provided for regulating the pressure exerted by the spring I5. As shown, an adjusting nut 33 and a lock nut 34 are provided on the spring rod 25 in association with the aforesaid collar 21'. The pressure exerted by this spring I 6 is regulated so that it withstands the heaviest pressure exerted by the tool IE] on the work during thickness reduction. The side mem- I carrier 3, i. e not permitted to move independently thereon bodily towards and from the tool W,

the distance between the peripheries of the bed roll 4 and the tool IiI will not vary and any number of pieces of Work or portions thereof can be definitely reduced to a given thickness. That is to say, under the'conditions described the machine would shave according to the adjustment made by the worm gearing comprising worm wheels 6 on screws 5 and worms 1 on spindle 8, but in the case of work of uneven thickness the normally thinner portion or portions which may require cleaning might remain untouched.

Accordingly the bed roll 4 is mounted on the rocking carrier 3 by means so constructed and arranged that the bed roll 4 can either be set so as to be capable of limited independent movement .on the rocking carrier 3 towards and from. the

tool III, or b e set so that it is held rigid against such movement. In the specific construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the bed roll spindle 4a is carried at each end by an auxiliary lever or swing arm 35 pivoted below the bed roll 4 on a pin 36 in a bearing 31 formed on or attached to a bridge piece 31) connecting the arms 3a of the'rocking carrier 3. Here again the construction and operation of the parts associated with the auxiliary arms 35 are the same at each end of the bridge piece 31). Hence the disclosure of the set of parts at the left side of the machine in Fig. 1 will serve also for the similar set of parts at the other end of the bridge piece 37). For each auxiliary lever or swing arm 35 there is provided a compression spring 38 arranged to act on the free (outer) end 35a of the said lever or arm 35 with upward pressure, so that the tendency is to urge the bed roll 4 towards the tool l0. An adjusting screw 39 is provided below each spring 38 in the adjacent arm 3a of the rocking carrier 3 for regulating the pressure of these springs. Each of the auxiliary levers or swing arms 35 has depending therefrom an arm or link 40, and rotatably mounted in these arms or links to connect the latter is a shaft or spindle 4| passing also through slots 42 in the adjacent arms 3a of the rocking carrier 3 and having thereon eccentrics 43 for action upon stop screws 44 inserted vertically in the carrier arms 3a beneath the free ends 35a of the auxiliary levers or swing arms 35. By turning the eccentric shaft 4| in one directione. g. clockwise viewing Fig. 4-the eccentrics 43 are caused to act on the lower ends of the stop screws 44 so that through the medium of the arms or links 49 the free ends of the auxiliary levers or arms 35 arepulled down on to the upper ends of the stops 44 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Under these conditions the springs 38 are rendered ineffective and the bed roll 4 is locked in what may be termed a thickness reducing position. That is to say, the aforesaid stops 44 are set so that when the rocking carrier 3 is moved up to the stops II, and the free ends 35a of the auxiliary levers or arms 35 are held in contact with the upper ends of the stops 44, the space or distance between the peripheries of the bed roll 4 and the tool II] is that requisite for the reduction of a piece of work to a given thickness. Rotation of the shaft 4| in the opposite direction, i. e. anticlockwise viewing Fig. 3, enables the springs 38 to operate so that the free ends 35a of the auxiliary levers or swing arms are raised out of contact with the stop screws 44 as shown in Fig. 4, so that the auxiliary levers or arms can rock to a limited extent. This, of course, puts the bed roll 4 in a slightly different pos tion so that when the main carrier is moved up to the stops H the space or distance between the peripheries of the bed roll 4 and the tool ll is correspondingly decreased, as

will be appreciated by comparing Figs. and 6. Thus when dealing with work of uneven thickness, by allowing the auxiliary levers or arms to lift from off the stop screws 44 to the requisite extent, the aforesaid space or distance between the bed roll 4 and the tool Hi can be decreased so as to be substantially equal to the least thickness of the thinner portion or portions of the work. Hence the tool II] will act merely superficially upon said portion or portions to clean the same without reducing the thickness thereof. In this way, when work of uneven thickness such as a piece of leather a shown in Fig. 5, with thin tapering flank portions such as b, is passed through the machine, the passage of the heavier portion between the bed roll 4 and the tool In automatically forces the roll 4 back against the action of the compression springs 38 until the auxiliary levers or arms 35 make contact with stop screws '44, but no further, since the main carrier 3 is held up against the appropriate stops i by the spring 16 associated with the toggle mechanism l4. In other words, the upper ends of the screws 44 serve as stops to determine the normal maximum spacing of the bed roll 4 with respect to the cutter l0. Hence: the thickness of such heavier portion of the piece of leather is reduced to the prearranged extent as hereinbefore set forth. As soon as a thinner portion or flank b comes between the tool I!) and the roll 4, as shown in Fig. 6, the latter is automatically urged towards. the tool ID to an extent permitted by the eccentrics '43 (on the eccentric shaft 4!) in their engagement with the lower ends of the set screws 44, so that the tool can operate to clean this portion. It

will be observed that the lower ends of the set screws 44 serve as stops to determine the normal minimum spacing of the bed roll 4 with respect to the tool I3. Hence the thinner portions of the work will only be cleaned on the flesh surface thereof and. not cut or shaved any deeper than is permitted by the setting of the co-operating members 43 and 44.

Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the eccentric shaft 4! and fixing same in position after adjustment. Conveniently a handle 45, formed with a sector or segmental portion '46 having a slot 41 therein, is fixedly attached to the shaft 4| adjacent to one of the aforesaid depending links or arms 40. Also a stud 48 is fixed in the arm for reception of a wing nut 49, whereby after adjustment the handle is clamped to the said adjacent arm or link 40 thus holding the shaft 4| and its eccentrics 43 in adjusted position.

The adjusting screws 39 in the arms 3a of the rocking carrier 3 serve to set the bed roll .4 parallel to the tool Ill, and means such as are hereinafter described are provided for adjusting the depending arms or links 43 independently so as to enable the eccentrics 43 to act identically upon the lower ends of the stop screws 44 whereby the auxiliary levers or swing arms 35 are pulled down with equal rigidity upon the upper ends of the i stop screws 44 when the bed roll is to be locked against the aforesaid limited movement on the carrier 3.

Means are provided to facilitate the setting of the bed roll 4 in the position in which it can yield on the carrier 3. Conveniently such means may consist of a scale on the handle 45 and a fixed pointer or a mark on a fixed part adjacent to the handle. In one arrangement, the handle 52 is formed with another segmental or like portion 45 (Figs. 4 and '7) having its edge graduated with a scale a representing millimetres and fractions thereof, and a pointer 5| is fixed in the adjacent arm or link 40 so that, by moving the handle to the extent of one or more of the graduations, the distance of the bed roll from the tool, in the operative position, will be definitely increased or decreased accordingly. Consequently when the machine has been set to shave a piece of work down to a predetermined thickness and it is desired to clean a thinner portion or portions, the bed roller can be readily set by means of the handle 45 (and the described intermediate means) to achieve this result. The machine is operated in the usual way for shaving down to a desired thickness and the bed roller is yieldingly urged automatically into contact with any thinner portion of the work with light pressure which can be regulated by adjustment of the screws 39 associated with the springs 38 so that the tool operates lightly on such por- 1 iii the desired result achieved without calling for the exercise of skill on the part of the operator. Rubber buffers may be used instead of springs.

As stated in the foregoing description, the upper ends of the screws 44 serve as stops to determine the normal maximum spacing of the bed roll 4 with respect to the cutter III, while the lower ends of the same screws 44 serve as stops to determine the normal minimum spacing of said bed roll and cutter. Itfol-lowsthatadjustment of the screws 44 will have the effect of changing both the normal maximum and minimum spacings just described, it being possible to offset the effect of such adjustment of the screws 44 on the normal minimum spacing by suitable manipulation of the handle lever 45. It may be desirable under certain circumstances to have two of these stop screws instead of one at each end of the machine. By this arrangement adjustment of one screw, such as that shown at 44a in Fig. 11, will have the effect of changing the normal minimum spacing of the bed roll 4 with respect to the cutter it without affecting the normal maximum spacing of said bed roll and cutter. Similarly, adjustment of a set screw 44b in Fig. 11 will change the normal maximum spacing of the bed roll 4 and cutter 88 with respect to each other without affecting the normal minimum spacing of said bed roll and cutter. There is the additional advantage that the range of adjustments between the bed roll and cutter is considerably widened.

Various modifications also adapted to achieve the result aforesaid will now be described.

According to the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8, there is provided for each of the swing arms 35, instead of the spring38 and screw 39, a lever 52 pivoted on a lug 53 on the bridge piece 312 and loaded by means of a weight or weights for action upon the corresponding swing arm so as to tend to urge the bed roll 4 towards the working tool I 3. The arrangement for one swing arm only is shown, as the arrangement for the other swing arm is just the same. Conveniently the two levers are connected by a common link 54 from which depends centrally a pivoted eye piece 55 adapted to carry a weight or weights 56. One end of each lever 52 has a slot 51 therein for reception of the corresponding connecting pin 58 and the arrangement is such that the opposite end of each lever 52 is pressed up against a projection 59 on the under side of the auxiliary swing arm 35, thus tending to press the bed roll 4 towards the tool ii The movement of the auxiliary swing arms 35 under the action of the levers 52 is limited by means of the eccentrics 43 and stop screws 44 whereby the bed ro-ll can also be locked against movement in the manner already described herein. The weight applied to the eye piece 55 may be varied according torequirements. If desired, independent spring or weight-loaded levers may be provided in association with the swing arms 35 instead of with the connected levers 52 as aforesaid. As will be understood, the adjustment of the bed roll 4 is effected by means of the handle 45 as in the previously described arrangement employing springs, and the bed roll 4 can yield, when required, in just the same way.

In each of the embodiments of the invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the auxiliary swing arms 35 are acted upon by fluid pressure for the purpose of yieldingly urging the bed roll 4 towards the tool I0. According to the construction shown in Fig. 9, each of the swing arms 35 is provided with a projection 60 for contact with a diaphragm 6| applied firmly to one end of a cylinder 62 mounted on the upper end of the corresponding arm 3a of the carrier 3 and over a hole therein, and supplied with fluid e. g. air, oil or water under pressure from an accumulator (not shown) by means of a pipe 63.

According to an equivalent arrangement shown V in Fig. 10, a cylinder 64 containing a piston or plunger 65 is located under each of the auxiliary swing arms 35 on the upper end of the-corresponding arm 3a of the carrier 3 and over a corresponding hole therein, and is connected with arms 35, and to enable the bed roll 4 to yield when the machine is set to operate in the manner, as and for the purpose hereinbefore described. As in the first-described arrangement, arms or links 40, eccentrics 43, stop screws 44, and a handle 45 are provided for setting the bed roll 4 either in such a position as to enable it to yield, or for looking it against yielding movement according to requirements. As will be understood with these fluid pressure arrangements, when the bed roll 4 is adjusted so as to be capable of yielding, the yielding movement takes place as the result of the auxiliary swing arms 35 pressing upon the diaphragms, or pistons or mulator, while when a thinner portion 1) (Figs. 1

5 and 6) of the work comes between the tool I0 and the bed roll 4 the fluid pressure is effective to press the bed roll towards the tool so that the latter operates to clean said thinner portion as described.

For adjusting the depending arms or links 40 so that the aforesaid eccentrics 43 act with equal effect on the corresponding stop screws 44, said arms or links are conveniently themselves mounted on eccentrics 51 rotatable on screw bolts 68 which are inserted into the auxiliary arms or levers 35 and serve to secure the eccentrics in position after adjustment.

The bed roller spindle 4a is preferably carried in the auxiliary levers or swing arms 35 by means of radial ball bearings 89 (see Fig. 1) so that when the machine is operating upon work of uneven thickness, the roller can adjust itself to slight inequalities, if any, in the thinner portion or portions of the work.

In the specific examples hereinbefore described, the main stop screws 5 (which co-operate with stops H) are located above the pivot 2 of the rocking carrier 3. This is for the purpose of counteracting any inherent resilience in the said carrier. According to a modification, however, the said stop screws may be located below the pivot for contact with appropriately disposed stops or abutments with equal effect provided that the rocking carrier is made somewhat heavier so as 35 to prevent the roll 4 from yielding when the tool In is shaving heavy leather to reduce the thickness thereof.

The improved machine may be used for cleaning leather or the like of uneven thickness without appreciably reducing the thickness even in the heaviest part. To this end the relatively strong spring i6 (Fig. 2), employed to hold the carrier 3 up to the stops l as for shaving, is replaced by a lighter spring, the main stop screws 5 are set back so as to avoid contact with the frame in any position of the carrier, and the screwed member is by which the toggle arrangement I4 is connected with the carrier 3 is furnished with a hand wheel 10. The relation of the bed roll 4 to the tool I is then adjusted by means of the said screwed member l9 so that when the bed roll 4 is locked on the carrier 3 as previously described, the space between the peripheries of the bed roll 4 and tool 0 in the operative position is approximately the same as the average thickness of the leather. The roll 4 may then be released in the manner hereinbefore set forth so that it is yieldingly held in position on the carrier 3 by the springs 38, whereafter the position of the roll 4 for dealing with the heavy part of the work is controlled by the said lighter main spring substituted at I6, while its position for dealing with the thinner portion or portions may be determined by the described auxiliary arrangement including the springs 38.

Instead of the screws 39 for regulating the pressure of the auxiliary springs 38 for the bed roller, an arrangement similar to that provided for setting the bed roll 4 on the main carrier 3 may be adopted. That is to say, a second shaft (not shown but similiar to shaft 4|), on which cams or eccentrics are disposed to aline with the said springs, may be rotatably mounted in the main carrier parallel to the other eccentric shaft 4| and furnished with a handle or equivalent for rotating it, so that the cams or eccentrics are turned either to compress the springs or to permit the same to expand according to the direction of rotation. Means may be provided for fixing the shaft after adjustment. For instance, as with the other eccentric shaft 4|, a screw or stud like 48 in an adjacent part of the main carrier may be passed through a segmental slotted portion of a handle like handle 45, for reception of a clamping nut like that shown at 49. This arrangement is advantageous when dealing with vegetable tanned leather which is easier to shave than chrome tanned leather, as it enables the spring pressure to be adjusted readily to fine derees.

g The bed roll 4 may be either positively driven or freely rotatable. Conveniently it is driven by means (not shown) having driving connections with the main shaft of the machine. A suitable driving means for the bed roll of a shaving machine is shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,686,768, granted October 9, 1928, upon application of G. A. Schettler.

A guard preferably of metal, is mounted adjacent to the bed roll 4 with an edge in close proximity to the periphery of the roll just below the point of contact of the roll With the work, for the purpose of preventing a sticky piece of work from being carried round by the roll after treatment. Conveniently the guard consists of a length of sheet metal vertically mounted on a piece of T-iron 12 attached to the auxiliary levers or swing arms 35.

A wooden table 13 having a convex surface is provided in front of the bed roll 4. Conveniently this table is mounted on separate brackets 14 (Figs. 1 and 2) attached to the bridge piece 312 of the rocking carrier 3.

As already stated herein, the main frame of the machine may be of a particularly rigid character but this statement should not be regarded as limitative, as the invention may be applied to a machine with a frame in which a slight degree of elasticity is permissible.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a tool, a bed roll movable between Work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to the tool, means for yieldingly holding the bed roll toward said tool whereby the former may yield to accommodate Variations in the thickness dimensions of the pieces of work undergoing treatment, and means to predetermine minimum and maximum spacings of the bed roll with respect to said tool when the former is in work presenting relation with respect to the latter.

2. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a tool, a bed roll movable between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to the tool, means for yieldingly holding the bed roll toward said tool whereby the former may yield to accommodate variations in the thickness dimensions of the pieces of work undergoing treatment, and stops arranged to determine minimum and maximum spacings of the bed roll with respect to said tool when the former is in work presenting relation with respect to the latter.

3. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a tool member, a work support member, said members being relatively movable between work receiving and work treating positions with respect to each other, a pair of swing arms carrying one of said members, means acting upon said swing arms to hold the member carried thereby yieldingly toward the other of said members, and stops mounted to engage said swing arms to predetermined normal minimum and maximum spacings of the work support member with respect to the tool member when said members are in work treating relation with respect to each other.

4. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a tool, a bed roll for supporting a piece of work during treatment by said tool, a pair of movable members having journal bearings for said bed roll, stops mounted to engage said members to predetermine minimum and maximum spacings of the bed roll with respect to said tool while the former is in work presenting relation to the latter, and means acting upon said members to hold the bed roll yieldingly in its position of minimum spacing with respect to said tool.

5. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a tool, a member for supporting a piece of work while it is being operated upon by the tool, a carrier for moving the work supporting member between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to the tool, means for yieldingly holding the work supporting member toward said tool whereby the former may yield to accommodate variations in the thickness dimensions of the pieces of work undergoing treatment, and means mounted on the carcarrier for moving the work supporting member between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said tool, a pair of swing arms mounted'on the carrier to support said work supporting member, stops on the carrier arranged to engage said swing arms to predetermine normal minimum "and maximum spacings of the work supporting member with respect to said tool while' said tool and member are in work treating relation to each other, and a spring arranged to urge said work supporting member yieldingly in the direction of'its normal minimum spacing with respect to said tool.

'7. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a rotary cutter, a bed roll for supporting a piece of Work during treatment by said cutter, a carrier for moving the bed roll between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said cutter, a pair of swing arms mounted on the carrier and having journal bearings for said bed roll, means yieldingly urging said bed roll toward said cutter, stops mounted on the carrier and arranged to engage the swing arms to predetermine a normal maximum spacing of the bed roll with respect to said cutter while said 'cutter and bed roll are in work treating relation to each other, and other stops to engage said swing arms to predetermine a normal minimum spacing of the bed roll withrespect to said cutter under the pressure of said yielding means.

8. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, and leather, 2. tool, a bed roll for supporting a piece of work while it is being operated upon by the tool, a carrier for moving the bed roll between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to the tool, a spring yieldingly urging the bed roll toward said tool whereby the former may yield to accommodate variations in the thickness dimensions of the pieces of work undergoing treatment, and means mounted on the carrier to limit movement of the bed roll toward and also away from the tool.

9. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a tool, a bed roll for supporting a piece of work during treatment by said tool, a carrier for moving the bed roll between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said tool, a pair of swing arms mounted on the carrier and having journal bearings for said bed roll, stops on the carrier to limit movement of the swing arms both toward and away from the tool, and means acting upon said swing arms to hold said bed roll yieldingly toward said tool.

10. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a tool, a bed roll for supporting a piece of work during treatment by said tool, a carrier for moving the bed roll between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said tool, a pair of swing arms mounted on the carrier and having journal bearings for said bed roll, means acting upon said swing arms to hold said bed roll yieldingly toward said tool,

stops mounted on the carrier to limit movement of the bed roll away from said tool, means to limit movement of the bed roll toward said tool under the pressure of said yielding means, and means readily accessible to the operator at the front of the machine and operable to adjust said limit ing means whereby adjustment of the normal minimum spacing of the bed roll and tool is facilitated.

11. In a machine for operating upon hides", skins and leather, a tool, a bed roll for supporting a piece of work during treatment by said tool, a carrier for moving the bed roll between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said tool, a pair of swing arms mounted on the carrier and having journal bearing for said bed roll, means yieldingly backing said swing arms so that the bed roll may yield away from said tool, link members connected one to each of said swing arms, stop members mounted upon said carrier adjacent to said link members, and eccentrics carried by said link members and adjustable, with respect to said stop members, to change the normal minimum spacing of said swing arms and bed roll with respect to said tool.

12. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a tool, a bed roll for supporting a piece of work during treatment by said tool, a carrier for moving the bed roll between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said tool, a stop against which the carrier is pressed when the bed roll is in work presenting position, means for yieldingly maintaining the carrier in contact with said stop, members mounted on the carrier and having journal bearings for said bed roll, other stops mounted on the carrier to limit the movement of the bed roll in a direction away from said tool, and means acting upon said members to hold said bed roll yieldingly toward the tool so that variations in the thickness of the Work may be accommodated.

13. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a tool member, a member for supporting a piece of work during treatment by said tool member, a carrier for moving one of said members alternately from and toward the other member respectively to receive and to operate upon the piece of work, a stop on the machine frame against which the carrier is pressed when said members are in work treating position, means to maintain the carrier in engagement with said stop, swing arms mounted on the carrier and arranged to support said one of said members, stop members mounted on the carrier to engage said swing arms to predetermine the normal minimum and maximum spacings of said members with respect to each other bed roll for supporting a piece of work against the thrust of the cutter, a carrier for moving the bed roll between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to the cutter, a stop to locate the carrier with its bed roll in work presenting position, means for yieldingly maintaining the carrier in engagement with said stop, a pair of swing arms mounted on the carrier and having journal bearings for the bed roll, means yieldingly backing the swing arms to permit movement of the bed roll away from said cutter to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work, stop members mounted on said carrier to engage said swing arms to predetermine the normal maximum spacing of the bed roll with respect to said cutter when the carrier is located against its stop whereby thicker portions of the work are reduced to a predeter- 2,032,879 mined substantially uniform thickness by the rotary cutter, and other stop members to engage said swing arms to locate the bed roll at the normal minimum spacing with respect to said cutter, the last-mentioned stop members and said yielding means operating automatically to present thinner portions of the work to said cutter for cleaning or mild shaving operations.

15. In a shaving machine, a tool, a member for supporting a piece of work against the thrust of the tool, a carrier for moving the work supporting member between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to the tool, means for maintaining the carrier with the work supporting member in work presenting position, a pair of swing arms mounted on the carrier and arranged to support the work supporting member, means acting upon the swing arms to hold the work supporting member yieldingly toward said tool to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work, and stop members mounted on said carrier for co-operation with said swing arms, one end of each stop member being arranged to limit movement of its associated swing arm in one direction and the other end of each stop member being arranged to limit movement of the associated swing arm in the other direction.

16. In a shaving machine, a rotary cutter, a bed roll for supporting a piece of work against the thrust of the cutter, a carrier for moving the bed roll between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to the cutter, means for holding the carrier with the bed roll in work presenting position, stops on the frame of the machine to position the carrier and the bed roll initially with respect to said cutter, adjustable members mounted on said carrier to cooperate with said stops whereby the bed roll may be variably positioned with respect to said rotary cutter at the initiation of operation upon each piece of work, members mounted upon th carrier and having journal bearings for said bed roll, means yieldingly backing said members so that the bed roll may yield to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work being treated, and stop members mounted on the carrier to predetermine the normal maximum spacing of the bed roll with respect to said cutter.

17. In a shaving machine, a rotary cutter, a bed roll for supporting a piece of work against the thrust of the cutter, a carrier for moving the bed roll between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to the cutter, means under the control of the operator for yieldingly maintaining the carrier with the bed roll in work presenting position, stops on the machine frame to position the carrier and the bed roll initially with respect to said tool, adjustable members mounted on said carrier to co-operate with said stops whereby the bed roll may be variably positioned with respect to said rotary cutter at the initiation of operation upon each piece of work, swing arms mounted upon the carrier and having journal bearings for said bed roll, means yieldingly backing said swing arms so that the bed roll may yield to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work being treated, and stop members mounted on the carrier to predetermine normal minimum and maximum spacings of the bed roll with respect to said rotary cutter while said bed roll and cutter are in work treating relation to each other.

18. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather to reduce thickness dimensions thereof by removing substance therefrom, a tool member, a work support member, said members tending constantly to move toward each other while in work-treating relation to each other, means under the control of the operator for establishing a normal maximum spacing of the work support and tool members to secure reduction in the thickness dimensions of certain portions of a piece of work to a predetermined substantially uniform thickness, and means arranged to co-operate with one of said members to establish a normal minimum spacing of the work support and tool members whereby said members may operate properly upon thinner portions of the work piece.

19. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a cutter member, a work support member, means to hold said members in work-treating relation to each other, stops under the control of the operator for establishing a normal maximum spacing of the work support and cutter members to secure reduction in the thickness dimensions of certain portions of a piece of work to a predetermined substantially uniform thickness, and other stops arranged to co-operate with one of said members to establish a normal minimum spacing of the work support and cutter members whereby said members may operate properly upon thinner portions of said piece of work, said cutter and work support members being relatively movable through a range of movement determined by said maximum and minimum spacing stops while said members are in work-treating relation to each other.

29. In a shaving machine, a rotary cutter, a bed roll for supporting a piece of work against the thrust of the cutter, a carrier for supporting the bed roll and moving it between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said cutter, said bed roll being movably mounted on its carrier and tending constantly to move to its position of minimum spacing with relation to the cutter, and stops mounted on the carrier to limit movement of the bed roll toward and also away from the cutter while the bed roll is in work presenting relation to the cutter, thereby to predetermine a normal maximum spacing and also a normal minimum spacing of the bed roll with respect to the cutter.

21. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a tool member, a work supportv member, said members being relatively movable between work receiving and work treating posii tions with respect to each other, and stops arranged to co-operate with one of said members to predetermine normal minimum and maximum spacings of the work support member with respect to the tool member while said members remain in work treating relation with respect to each other.

22. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a rotary tool, a bed roll for supporting a piece of work during treatment by said rotary tool, a pair of movable members having journal bearings for said bed roll, and stops mounted to engage said members to predetermine normal minimum and maximum spacings respectively of the bed roll with relation to said tool while the former remains in work presenting position with respect to the latter.

GUSTAV ADOLF SCHETI'LER. 

